Councillors have paved the way for a pioneering green energy plant to be built at a north-east port.
The local authority yesterday granted full planning permission for the onshore elements of Shell’s proposals for a carbon capture and storage (CCS) plant at SSE’s Peterhead Power Station, near Boddam.
But one councillor labelled the project a “short-term” solution to climate change.
Aberdeenshire Council’s only Scottish Green member, Martin Ford, called for CCS to =be discussed in more detail before any decision was made.
However, Peterhead councillor Alan Gardiner welcomed the prospect of the town “leading in this new technology”.
He added: “This is a fantastic opportunity for the area. We have an opportunity here to hopefully provide something that could be world-leading.”
CCS allows for up to 90% of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions produced from fossil fuels to be put back into depleted offshore oil and gas wells.
CO2 captured at Peterhead Power Station will find its way into the Goldeneye gas reservoir in the North Sea.
East Garioch councillor Mr Ford said: “I am very happy to support this but we do need this discussion. CCS is not the solution to climate change. This does not stop climate change.”
He added that the technology could “help us in the short-term”, adding it was “not a solution to low carbon that we need for the modern world”.
He said: “The reason for me asking this was simply so I can support this application to the degree to which I want to support it.”
Ellon councillor Isobel Davidson said: “I do think we should approach carbon capture with a degree of caution, we do need a cautious approach to it.”
The local authority agreed to discuss the pros and cons of the technology in a separate report, after which members approved the application.
The council’s head of planning and building standards, Robert Gray, said the proposals were the first of their kind “in the UK”.
He added: “The importance of it is that Peterhead becomes a demonstration to the rest of the country.
“We have had no objections from the community.”
Shell’s project leader for the scheme – Bill Spence – said the backing of the council “means everything” to his team.
He added: “I am really pleased there with the response we got from the council here, it marks the end of long months of hard work.
“This project would create jobs, put existing industry skills and infrastructure to good use and demonstrate a technology critical for decarbonising the power sector.”